Author: News Room

Adults in Washington State who grow marijuana at home will continue to face the threat of felony charges for at least another year following a House committee’s failure to advance a cannabis homegrow bill ahead of a legislative deadline this week. HB 2194 was not called for a vote in the House Appropriations Committee before the February 5 deadline for bills to pass out of fiscal panels, meaning it’s no longer eligible to move forward. The marijuana home cultivation measure passed out of a separate House committee last month, though lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they were…

I arrived in New York City in 1976 to become an actor. But after five years of pounding the pavement and a moderate amount of success, I considered my odds and decided that stardom wasn’t in my stars. I landed in the fitness industry, which coincided with the fitness boom back when Jane Fonda was making videos and aerobic classes were the rage. I became the fitness director for New York Sports Clubs, a prominent chain of health clubs in the Northeast, and managed their exercise programs. But after eight years of professional exercise, I was cooked and profoundly unfulfilled.…

Supporters argue that criminalizing drug use pushes people into the shadows, making it harder for them to get help. By Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star Maine saw a reduction in the number of overdose deaths in 2023. But with hundreds upon hundreds of drug-related deaths last year, advocates and lawmakers say the state is still in the midst of a serious crisis. In total, there were 607 confirmed or suspected overdose deaths in 2023, a 16 percent drop from the record total of 723 in 2022. Along with the 607 deaths, there were 9,047 confirmed nonfatal overdoses last year (compared…

Vice President Kamala Harris cited the Biden administration’s moves toward reforming federal marijuana laws in a new video appealing to young voters—though her specific claim that policies have already been “changed” is premature. Meanwhile, the video also features a map that purports to highlight states that have legalized cannabis but that contains misinformation about which jurisdictions have actually ended criminalization. “We changed federal marijuana policy, because nobody should have to go to jail just for smoking weed,” Harris says in the video, posted to X on Friday. While President Joe Biden has issued mass pardons for people who have committed…

Every individual’s cannabis journey has a distinctive and often unforgettable beginning. For Sara Payan, her intricate relationship with cannabis bloomed during her inquisitive teenage years. Initially sparked by youthful curiosity, her engagement with the plant took on an intensely personal and transformative dimension in her 30s. Confronted with a diagnosis of stage-three colon cancer, Payan grappled with the dual challenges of the disease itself and the debilitating aftermath of chemotherapy. Cannabis became her safe place, alleviating the intense pain and overpowering nausea. That life-changing event led to Payan’s path towards cannabis education and advocacy.  With her podcast, Planted with Sara…

An Ohio lawmaker is warning colleagues that passing legislation to undermine voters’ decision to legalize marijuana in the state will jeopardize their reelection prospects—specifically cautioning against proposals to redirect tax revenue to law enforcement. Rep. Juanita Brent (D)—who has previously emphasized the need to involve people who’ve been disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization in the legalization implementation process—spoke about the politics of marijuana policy in the legislature during a panel organized by the Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center last week. With a primary election in Ohio coming up next month, Brent said that “if we go against…

There’s a universe in every nug, so let’s continue our journey through time and space with Part II of the World’s best seeds and clones to grow in 2024, aka Attack of the Sours. Also starring Purps, Tangies, sativas, and vintage stuff.Sour Diesel strainsAn AJ’s Sour Diesel appears. (David Downs/Leafly)As New York City finally warms up to legalization, expect an onslaught of Sours. We all love Sour Diesel for its sour lime and gas smell and energetic hybrid sativa effects.At the top of my list for sours to check out: Humboldt County-based, 7 year-old CHAnetics’ whole line of Lime Sour,…

A Republican senator in Pennsylvania says he will soon introduce legislation that would remove barriers under state law to medical marijuana patients carrying firearms. Sen. Dan Laughlin (R) circulated a co-sponsorship memo about the forthcoming bill on Friday, noting that while the state’s 2016 medical marijuana law allows patients to “LEGALLY treat specific medical conditions with marijuana,” other state mechanisms—including the issuance of licenses to carry firearms—still treat cannabis as unlawful. Current law in Pennsylvania says that carry licenses won’t be issued to people who are unlawful marijuana users. As described by Laughlin, his bill would clarify that medical marijuana…

Virginia’s House of Delegates has given preliminary approval to a bill that would legalize and regulate the retail sale of marijuana in the commonwealth, with a final vote on the measure expected early next week. On a voice vote, the chamber approved the the bill, HB 698 from Del. Paul Krizek (D), during second reading consideration on Friday. Advocates expect a final third reading floor vote to be held on Monday, ahead of the legislature’s crossover deadline the next day. A competing measure, meanwhile, is advancing in the Senate, having passed out of committee on Thursday. If both bills clear…

Amid the U.S. military’s ongoing recruiting crisis, the Navy is expanding authority to grant waivers to recruits who arrive at boot camp and initially test positive for marijuana, instead of simply sending them home. “If they fail that test and own up—’Yes, I smoke marijuana ‘—we do an evaluation of the young person to make sure there’s not something else going on,” Rear Adm. James Waters told reporters this week. “But we trust that through the process of boot camp that we have an opportunity to bring them along with our culture.” Waters, who directs the Navy’s military personnel plans…